Lawrence Babits
Encyclopedia
Lawrence E. Babits is an American archaeologist with specific interests in military history
, material culture
, and battlefield
and maritime archaeology
. Babits is credited with highly accurate accounts of soldiers' combat experience during the 18th century, specifically during the Battle of Cowpens
, a turning point in the American Revolutionary War
. This is illustrated in his books Long, Obstinate and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (coauthored with Joshua B. Howard) and A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Babits is currently a George Washington Distinguished Professor of Maritime Archaeology
and History
at East Carolina University
.
, Arkansas
on June 22, 1943. He graduated from Surrattsville High School
in Clinton, Maryland
in 1961. During his youth he was a member of the Boy Scouts
and in his junior year of high school became an Eagle Scout
. The year he graduated from high school, Babits worked as a carpenter’s apprentice in Washington, D.C.
. In 1963 he joined the United States Army
where he served for three years as an infantry
man. Babits left the Army at the rank of Sergeant and with an honorable discharge in 1966. From there he went to the University of Maryland, College Park
to receive his Bachelor of Arts
in anthropology
with a minor in history in 1969. From then until 1973, Babits worked for the university as a teaching assistant and continued to work to receive his Master's degree
in 1974 from Maryland. Babits began working as an archaeologist for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
in Raleigh
, North Carolina
and later became a teaching fellow in archaeology field methods. To further his education, Babits went to Brown University
to work as a teaching assistant and eventually teach his own courses through the Sociology
and Anthropology departments at Washington and Lee University
from 1980 to 1981. Babits earned his Doctor of Philosophy
in 1981 from Brown and his dissertation was entitled Military Documents and Archaeological Site: Methodological Contributions to Historical Archaeology. That same year he was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta
, an honor society for history scholars. Between 1971 and 1985 he also wrote sports articles in his spare time for various newspapers. With his Ph.D., Babits continued to teach as an assistant professor of history and archaeology at Armstrong State College in Georgia
. From there Babits went to East Carolina University
, where he currently resides as director of the Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology program in Greenville
, North Carolina
. Some of the classes he teaches include Battlefield Archaeology, Revolutionary War in the South, Living History, 18th Century Warfare, History and Theory of Nautical Archaeology, American Maritime Material Culture, Field Research in Maritime History, and Seafaring.
In 1996 he served as a guest faculty coach for the ECU softball team. Throughout the years Babits has published a number of works including the book, A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens which describes the Battle of Cowpens
that took place during the American Revolutionary War. It was won by the Americans on January 17, 1781 in Cowpens
, South Carolina
through the use of original tactical maneuvers. Babits gives estimations of troop numbers for both sides and details the events of the battle. The book was the winner of a Distinguished Book Award in 1998 from the Army Historical Foundation as well as the honorable mention book award from the Fraunces Tavern Museum/Sons of the Revolution. Babits’ most recent book is entitled Long, Obstinate and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse. During the 1980s, Babits served as director for the Coastal Heritage Society and the Center for Low Country Studies and served as the acting director of the Museum and Preservation Studies Program at Armstrong State College.
Babits is married with one child. In his free time away from academics he has enjoyed playing, coaching, and refereeing rugby since his early twenties.
awarded him a History Medal in 1990. That same year the faculty of Armstrong State College awarded Babits the Curmudgeon Award and in 1985 he also received the H. Dean Probst Award for Outstanding Faculty Member, which is decided by the students.
from the United Kingdom
that strives to continue and improve upon nautical archaeological techniques. The Company of Military Historians is another society to which Babits belongs. It involves the continuation of studies of "information on the uniforms, equipment, history, and traditions of members of the Armed Forces of the United States worldwide and other nations serving in the Western Hemisphere." He also received the Life Member award in 1992 from the Coastal Georgia Archaeological Society. Furthermore, Babits is part of the First Maryland Regiment living history
organization from the Revolutionary War and the First and Second Maryland Regiment living history organization from the American Civil War
. He has been a part of that organization since 1967 and is currently still involved in its workings.
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
, material culture
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
, and battlefield
Battlefield archaeology
Battlefield archaeology is a sub-discipline of archaeology that began in North America with Dr. Douglas D. Scott's, National Park Service, metal detecting of in 1983...
and maritime archaeology
Maritime archaeology
Maritime archaeology is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remains and submerged...
. Babits is credited with highly accurate accounts of soldiers' combat experience during the 18th century, specifically during the Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
, a turning point in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. This is illustrated in his books Long, Obstinate and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (coauthored with Joshua B. Howard) and A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Babits is currently a George Washington Distinguished Professor of Maritime Archaeology
Maritime archaeology
Maritime archaeology is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remains and submerged...
and History
Maritime history
Maritime history is the study of human activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant...
at East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
.
Biography
Babits was born in BlythevilleBlytheville, Arkansas
Blytheville is the largest city in and one of the two county seats of Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 15,620 at the 2010 census....
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
on June 22, 1943. He graduated from Surrattsville High School
Surrattsville High School
Surrattsville High School or SHS is a public high school located in Clinton, Maryland and is a part of the Prince George's County Public School System in Prince George's County, Maryland. The school educates about 1,100 children and teenagers in grades 9 through 12...
in Clinton, Maryland
Clinton, Maryland
Clinton is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the American Civil War. The population of Clinton was 26,064 at the 2000 census. However, as of 2007, there is an...
in 1961. During his youth he was a member of the Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and in his junior year of high school became an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. The year he graduated from high school, Babits worked as a carpenter’s apprentice in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1963 he joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
where he served for three years as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
man. Babits left the Army at the rank of Sergeant and with an honorable discharge in 1966. From there he went to the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
to receive his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
with a minor in history in 1969. From then until 1973, Babits worked for the university as a teaching assistant and continued to work to receive his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1974 from Maryland. Babits began working as an archaeologist for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the state's leading stewardship agency for the preservation and protection of natural resources and public health.- Divisions :* Air Quality* Aquariums...
in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and later became a teaching fellow in archaeology field methods. To further his education, Babits went to Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
to work as a teaching assistant and eventually teach his own courses through the Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Anthropology departments at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
from 1980 to 1981. Babits earned his Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1981 from Brown and his dissertation was entitled Military Documents and Archaeological Site: Methodological Contributions to Historical Archaeology. That same year he was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
, an honor society for history scholars. Between 1971 and 1985 he also wrote sports articles in his spare time for various newspapers. With his Ph.D., Babits continued to teach as an assistant professor of history and archaeology at Armstrong State College in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. From there Babits went to East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
, where he currently resides as director of the Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology program in Greenville
Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Some of the classes he teaches include Battlefield Archaeology, Revolutionary War in the South, Living History, 18th Century Warfare, History and Theory of Nautical Archaeology, American Maritime Material Culture, Field Research in Maritime History, and Seafaring.
In 1996 he served as a guest faculty coach for the ECU softball team. Throughout the years Babits has published a number of works including the book, A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens which describes the Battle of Cowpens
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by Patriot Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War...
that took place during the American Revolutionary War. It was won by the Americans on January 17, 1781 in Cowpens
Cowpens, South Carolina
Cowpens is a town in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,162 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cowpens is located at ....
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
through the use of original tactical maneuvers. Babits gives estimations of troop numbers for both sides and details the events of the battle. The book was the winner of a Distinguished Book Award in 1998 from the Army Historical Foundation as well as the honorable mention book award from the Fraunces Tavern Museum/Sons of the Revolution. Babits’ most recent book is entitled Long, Obstinate and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse. During the 1980s, Babits served as director for the Coastal Heritage Society and the Center for Low Country Studies and served as the acting director of the Museum and Preservation Studies Program at Armstrong State College.
Babits is married with one child. In his free time away from academics he has enjoyed playing, coaching, and refereeing rugby since his early twenties.
Awards and recognitions
Throughout his career in archaeology, Babits has been acknowledged by many scholarly bodies for his hard work in the form of recognitions and awards. In 2007 Babits received the honor of becoming a Fellow in the Company of Military Historians. Babits was recognized by the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati with the George Washington Distinguished Professor of History award while teaching at East Carolina University. In 1995 Babits earned the McCann-Taggert Lectureship in Underwater Archaeology from the American Institute of Archaeology. The National Society for the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
awarded him a History Medal in 1990. That same year the faculty of Armstrong State College awarded Babits the Curmudgeon Award and in 1985 he also received the H. Dean Probst Award for Outstanding Faculty Member, which is decided by the students.
Societies and Organizations
Babits holds membership positions in a number of professional societies. He is a member of the Society for Historical Archaeology which focuses on “the dissemination of knowledge concerning historical archaeology” and “the identification, excavation, interpretation, and conservation of sites and materials on land and underwater.” He is a member of the Nautical Archaeology SocietyNautical Archaeology Society
The Nautical Archaeology Society is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.The charitable aims and object of the company are to further research in Nautical Archaeology and publish the results of such research and to advance education and...
from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that strives to continue and improve upon nautical archaeological techniques. The Company of Military Historians is another society to which Babits belongs. It involves the continuation of studies of "information on the uniforms, equipment, history, and traditions of members of the Armed Forces of the United States worldwide and other nations serving in the Western Hemisphere." He also received the Life Member award in 1992 from the Coastal Georgia Archaeological Society. Furthermore, Babits is part of the First Maryland Regiment living history
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
organization from the Revolutionary War and the First and Second Maryland Regiment living history organization from the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He has been a part of that organization since 1967 and is currently still involved in its workings.
Books and Monographs
- Underwater Archaeology 1998. Tucson, AZ: Society for Historical Archaeology, 1998. Co-edited with Catherine Fach and Ryan Harris.
- Maritime Archaeology: A Guide to Theoretical and Substantive Contributions. New York, NY: Plenum Press, 1998. Co-edited with Hans Van Tilburg.
- A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
- Southern Campaigns. Philadelphia, PA: Eastern National, 2002.
- Fortitude and Forbearance: The North Carolina Continental Line in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Raleigh, NC: Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 2004. Co-authored with Joshua Howard.
- Fields of Conflict: Battlefield Archaeology from the Roman Empire to the Korean War. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2006. Co-edited with Douglas Scott and Charles Haecker.
- Long, Obstinate, and Bloody: The Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2008. Co-authored with Joshua Howard.
- Fields of Conflict: Battlefield Archaeology from the Roman Empire to the Korean War. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2009. Co-edited with Douglas Scott and Charles Haecker.
Journals
- "Exploring a Civil War Sidewheeler". Archaeology, 1994.
- "Supplying the Southern Army, March 1780-September 1781". Military Collector and Historian XLVII, 1995.
- "Bullets from the Maple Leaf". Military Collector and Historian XLVII, 1995.
- "Rubber Poncho and Blankets from the Union Transport Maple Leaf". Military Collector and Historian XLVII, 1995.
- "A Working Definition of 'Periauger'". Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology. Tucson, AZ: Society for Historical Archaeology, 1996.
- "Locating the Small Boat in the Archaeological Record: A Model from the North Carolina Sounds". Transactions, 1997. With Annalies C. Kjorness.
- "Reconstructing the 1740 Scoutboat Savannah". Transactions, 1997. With Deirdre O'Regan.
- "Rapport de Fouilles Relatif aux Vestiges Francais de la Guerre de l'Independence Americaine Trouves a Savannah, Georgie, Aux Etats-Unis". Carnet de la Sabretache, 1998. With Thomas Babits.
- "1785 Common Sailors' Clothing and a Ship's Camboose from the General Carleton of Whitby". Underwater Archeology 1998. Tucson AZ: Society for Historical Archaeology, 1999. Co-Authored with Waldemar Ossowski, Museum Morskie, Gdansk, Poland.
- "Pirates". Tributaries, 2001.
- "Reproducing a Periauger". Sea History Winter, 2004.
Book chapters
- "A Derelict Small Boat Survey, Pamlico Drainage, North Carolina, USA". In Down the River to the Sea. Oxford, UK: Archaeopress, 2000. With Annalies Corbin.
- "'Book Archaeology' of the Cowpens Battlefield". In Fields of Conflict: Progress and Prospect in Battlefield Archaeology. British Archaeological Reports International Series, 2001. Edited by P.W.M. Freeman and A. Pollard.
- "Maritime Archaeology in North Carolina". In The International Handbook of Underwater Archaeology. New York, NY: Plenum Press, 2001. Edited by Carol V. Ruppe and Janet F. Barstad.
- "Pirate Imagery". In X Marks the Spot. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2006. With Matthew Brenckle and Joshua Howard. Edited by Charles Ewen and Russell Skrownek.